Customer orientation in family businesses

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the customer orientation of service employees (COSE) in family businesses. This study elaborates on the perception and importance of COSE in family-owned companies. The paper also proposes new consequences of COSE in the family business context. The research is based on a qualitative study comprised of 13 interviews conducted on senior managers in family firms. The results are analysed using NVivo 11. This investigation confirms the relevance of the COSE construct in family businesses and the role of the family influence over it. New consequences are elicited, including differentiation, customer experience, and customer well-being. The results show that practitioners consider COSE as a key element for success. This study sheds light on how COSE can be applied in a family business in order to enhance the customer experience. This study expands on the potential of COSE with the use of family businesses for the first time and introduces new consequences from the original model.